Ore-concelttbatiirg machine



F. E. SMALL. oaecowcswmrmc MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14. I918- Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

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F. E. SMALL. ORE CONCENTRATING MACHINE. APPLICATION mw AUG. l4, ms.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

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THL COLUMBIA PLANonnAml c0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

F. E. SMALL. ORE CONCENTRATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14. I918.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

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' ATTORNEY.

"rm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPIII (50., WMNINGTON. D. c

a State of Missouri,

FREDERICK E. SMALL, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ORE-CONCENTRATING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au". 26, 1919.

Application filed August 14, 1918. Serial No. 249,886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. SMALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and have invented a new and useful Ore-Concentrating Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ore concentrating machines which are employed in extracting and recovering gold and other valuable metals from their ores, a d the O ject of my invention, is to provide a cheap, durable, and efficient ore concentrating machine having mechanical facilities for agitating solutions carrying gold and other precious metals to obtain ore concentrates carrying a maximum of values and, associated with air under pressure, to excite the ore solutions and drive off carbonic acid gas incident to local action set up by water and metallic substances carried by ores.

I attain these objects and other advantages by means of the organized mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1, is a side elevation of an ore concentrating machine embodying my invention, and partly sectioned to disclose the construction of its parts;

Fig. 2, is a top plan view of one of the movable tanks, and showing the sprocket chain and plates thereon for discharging tailings, a part of my invention;

Fig, 3, is a side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 4, is a top plan view of one of the movable tanks, and showing the concentrating device in the bottom thereof;

Fig. 5, is an end view of the machine;

Fig. 6, is a sectional view of the sprocket wheels and sprocket chain, taken on the line VI-VI, in Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a cross section through the tank on the line VIL-VII, in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 8, is a top view of the guiding device at the end of a fragment of the discharging end of one of the movable tanks.

Similar numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The standards 1, and cross ties 2, comprise the frame of the machine. Doors 3, are hingedly mounted on the upper end of the frame. An agitating device 4:, is mounted at, the upper portion of the frame and in inclined position and comprises a tank 5., having a series of substantially semi-circular chambers 6, which extend transversely of the tank and are adapted to spill their contents nto the next below chamber. A hop er 7, is mounted on the outer side of the rame and is provided with a chute 8, which is inclined and arranged to communicate with the interior of the uppermost chamber 6, so that ores shall gravitate from the hopper into the chamber last mentioned. An outlet 9, is formed integral with the tank 5, at and along the lower end portion thereof and it is inclined to the one side of the tank and adapted to receive the matter which may be spilled from the lowermost chamber 6. Individual cells 10, are formed integral with the lower sides of the chambers 6, and communicate with the latter by small slotted openings 11, in the lower sides of the chambers. Inlets 12, are provided in the lower sides of the cells and are adapted to be conneeted with a water supply 13, whereby water is admitted to the cells 10, and rising therefrom through the openings 11, into the chambers 6, and spilling from one to the other of the chambers, wasting through the outlet 9, in the manner and for a purpose that will hereinafter be explained. Inlets 1 1, are provided in the lower sides of the cells and are adapted to be connected with a supply of compressed air 15, so that compressed air shall be admitted to the cells and chambers simultaneously with the admission of water, for the purpose of obtaining maximum agitation of the solution in the chambers and cells and the introduction of oxygen to the solution to drive off carbonic acid gas incident to local chemical action in the process of concentrating ores. The cells 10, are inclined in opposition to the inclination of the outlet 9, so that the cells may be discharged at the side of the tank 5, opposite to the discharge of the chambers 6. Outlets 16, are provided at the lower ends of the cells 10. Individual cylinders 17 provided circumferentially with a plurality of longitudinally extending paddles 18, are revolubly mounted in the chambers 6, the cylinders being journaled in the sides of the tank 5, and their axles 19, projecting a little distance outwardly of the tank. Gear wheels 20, are mounted on the projecting ends of the axles 19, and gear wheels 21, are mounted idly on the sides of the tank and in engagement with the gear wheels 20, thus forming a train of gears adapted for imparting simultaneous motion in all the cylinders 17.

- and in such a manner that A pulley 22, is mounted on the outer end of the axle 19, of the uppermost cylinder 17, and outwardly of the gear wheel 20, thereon, the pulley being adapted to receive and impart motion in the well known'manner.

Tanks 23 and 24, are movably disposed in parallelism at the lower portion of the frame for the purpose of separately receiving the discharges from the respective outlets 16 and 9. f Theinner end portions of the tanks are concaved, the receiving ends 25, having a curve of longer radius than curve of the dis.- charging ends 26, the latter being cut-away to provide openings for the discharge, of tailings or waste. Wedge-shaped corrugated hollow metallic plates or tables 27,

are embedded in the floors 28, of the tanks,

pitch. or incline inwardly. Plates 29, are secured on the lower sides of the tanks and axles 31 are transversely secured inthe opposite end portions thereof, on which axles escalloped wheels 32 are revolubly mounted,

.slopes on the upper sides of the bottoms ofthe tanks.

so as to travel to and fro on plates 33, when the tanks are reciprocated, as is hereinafter explained. Legs 34, are secured on the one outer side of the tanks 23 and 24, substantially at the middle thereof, and their free ends are convexed. Concaved seats 35, are formed in plates 36, and the seats are adapted for slidably receiving the convexed ends of the legs 34. Pivot bearings 37, are mounted on the forward cross tie 2, located in advance of the tanks and at a suitable distance to one side of the centers thereof. Arms 38, are-bent horizontally at right angles and their outer end portions are bent down at right angles to form pivots 39, which loosely enter the pivot bearing 37. The inner ends of the arms are pivotally connected with the discharging ends of the tanks, by pivot pins 40, which loosely pierce a coupling 41, secured on the ends of the tanks, at the centers thereof, and loosely pierce the inner ends of the arms. The the tables 27, are provided with a plurality of minute perforatio-ns which are adapted for venting air. Nipples 42 are attachedon the outer ends of the tables 27, and communicate with the interiors thereof and with air pipes 43, which are connected with a supply of .compressed air, not shown. A

Y Sprocket wheels '44, are revolubly mounted 1n the tanks 23 and 24, at the ends thereof, and are journaled in bearings 45, which are secured on the outer 'sides of the tanks. Sprocket" chains 46, are provided "with a plurality' of transversely extending outwardly projecting plates 47, which are adapted to be carried along, over, and upon the upper sides of the tables 27, and along A belt tightener the. tanks 23 and 48, is mounted on each of vertical arms 49,

24, and they consist of the tables shall 'ceive pins 66, in the arms 63,

' sprocket chains 46, and, also, with dependmg arms 52, having clamping screws 53,70 entering the slots 50. Rollers 54, are mounted on the lower ends of the arms 52, and are adapted toengage the inner side of the sprocket chain, at the bottom of the tanks 23 and 24. Pulleys 55, are mounted on the axles of the sprocketwheels. A pulley 56, is mounted on the axle 19, of an intermediate cylinder 17, and a belt .57, is stretched between the pulleys mentioned. A crank 58, e is mounted on the end of the axle 19, of the lowermost cylinder 17, and is connected with arod 59, which is movably mounted thereon. A rock shaft 60, is journaledin hangers 61, on the frame, and a lever 62,, is mounted on the rock shaft and connected at its free end with thefree end of rod 59., Arms 63, are mounted on the rock shaft. Connecting rods 64, provided with holes 65, adapted to re the inner ends of the connecting rods are pivotally connected with a stud 67', on each of the tanks 7 23 and 24. Holes 68, are provided in the rod 59, for lengthening or shortening the stroke of the lever 62. i

The ore concentrating machine embody- 111g. my inventionas hereinabove described operates as follows: Power is appliedto the driving pulley 22, when it will move in the direction of the arrow marked thereon, and revolve the uppermost cylinder 17, in the same direction, whereby the series of cylinders will be moved likewise, by means of the train of gears including gear wheels 20 and 21, asis shown by the arrows marked on the gears in Fig. 3. Pulverized ore is deposited in the hopper 7, and it gravitates through the chute 8, into the uppermost chamber 6. At this time water is admitted to the cells 10,'a nd the water rises into the chambers 6, and spills from one into the other, and finally spills from the lowermost. chamber into the outlet 9,-and from thence discharged into the tank 24. At the time of admltting water compressed air is admitted to the cells 10, and mingling with the water and ore particles, escapes through the Water in the chambers to atmosphere. The ore particles gravitate from the hopper into the uppermost chamber 6, where they are sa'turated by the water and form a solution which is agitated by tht paddles 18, on the cylinders, the values settling into the cell 10, communicating withthis particular chambet. The compressed airpassing through r the solution in the cells agitates the same and tends to drive ofi' carbonic acid gas. 7 and neutralize the effects thereof, thereby facilitating the separation of'zthe" metals from their ores. The concentrates gravitate tothe lower end of the cells and are motion to the one end of the tanks.

discharged with the solution into the tank 23, through the outlets 16. The values carried by the solution spill, also, from the uppermost chamber into the next chamber, and so continued until the run of the machine has been discharged into the tanks 23 and 24, through both the outlets 9 and 16. When the machine is driven as above described, the belt 57, is forced to drive the sprocket wheels 44, thereby the sprocket chain traverses adjacent the plate 27, bring ing the plates 47, thereon to drag upon the ridges and upon the bottom of the tanks, and thereby dragging the tailings along and dischargin the same at the cut away ends of the tan s. In the operation described, the heavier values pass through the cells 10, and are discharged into the tank 23, and

the lighter values are carried in the chambers 6, and spilled therefrom into the tank 24.

The concentrates pass into the tanks 23 and 24, while the latter are being reciprocated by the rock shaft 60 and arms 63. As the tanks are reciprocated lengthwise, the escalloped wheels 31, travel to and fro on the plates 33, and their broken peripheries impart an up and down irregular jarring motion thereto and, at the same time, the legs 34, are forced to slide to and fro in their concaved seats 35, thereby impartingan undulatory or wave motion to the tanks and, also at the same time, the arms 38, reciprocate the tanks, particularly the discharging ends thereof, laterally to and fro, imparting an oscillatory or swaying The undulatory motion imparted by the legs 34, combined with the oscillatory or swaying lateral motion imparted to the ends of the tanks by the arms 38, produce or effect a swirling motion of the solution in the tanks substantially identical with the well known pan motion practised by miners, and at the moment the solution is being shocked in vertical direction by the escalloped wheels 31,-thereby greatly facilitating the segreation of the mineral grains carried by the solution in the tanks. In Figs. 1, 3 and 8, the position of the arms 38, at the full forward stroke of the tanks, is shown, the dot- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the ted lines shown in Fig. 8, indicating the position of the arms at the full back stroke of the tanks.

When the solution in the tanks 23 and 24, are agitated by virtue of the tank movements described, the concentrates are precipitated into the valleys in the corrugated plate 27, and are discharged from the tanks through the outlets 72, into suitable receptacles, as shown at 73, in Fig. 7. Compressed air is admitted to he interior of the plate 27 by nipples 42, which are connected to a source of compressed air, not shown. The air passes into the solution from the plate 27, through the orifices 74, in the slopes of the corrugations, and thereby the concentrates only are ermitted to seek the valleys in the plates 2 Having described my invention what I claim is-- In an ore concentrating machine, the combination of a supporting frame, a tank inclined on said frame and having a bottom section provided with a series of transversely extending semi-cylindrical receptacles and with a spillway communicating with the lowermost of said receptacles, cells associated with the lower sides of said receptacles and communicating therewith, said cells being provided with longitudinally inclined bottom sections having outlets in their lower end portions, a water supply having lateral ducts communicatin with said cells, a compressed air supply liaving lateral ducts communicating with said cells, a hopper associated with said tank and having a chute communicating with the uppermost of said receptacles, cylinders revolubly arranged in said receptacles and provided circumferentially at intervals with longitudinally extending radially projecting-paddles, power receiving and power transmitting devices operating between said cylinders, and means for actuating said power receiving and power transmitting devices.

Kansas City, Missouri, August 12, 1918.

FREDERICK E. SMALL.

Witnesses:

F. E. KENNEY, JOHN C. STEARNS.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

